''Aphthona cyparissiae'' is a species of leaf beetle known as the brown dot leafy spurge flea beetle. It is used as an agent of

biological pest control Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests, such as insects, mites, weeds, and plant diseases, using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms, but typically also invo ...

against the

noxious weed A noxious weed, harmful weed or injurious weed is a weed that has been designated by an agricultural or other governing authority as a plant that is injurious to agricultural or horticultural crops, natural habitats or ecosystems, or humans or liv ...

leafy spurge Leafy spurge may refer to several species of plant in the genus ''Euphorbia'', including: * '' Euphorbia esula'', native to central and southern Europe * ''Euphorbia virgata ''Euphorbia virgata'', commonly known as leafy spurge, wolf's milk leaf ...

(''Euphorbia esula''). The adult beetle is light golden brown and about 3 millimeters long. The female lays eggs on or near leafy spurge, its host plant, during the summer months. The white

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

emerges in about two weeks and feeds on the roots and

root hairs Root hair, or absorbent hairs, are outgrowths of epidermal cells, specialized cells at the tip of a plant root. They are lateral extensions of a single cell and are only rarely branched. They are found in the region of maturation, of the root. Root ...

. It is active through the fall and winter until the cold stimulates it to

pupa A pupa ( la, pupa, "doll"; plural: ''pupae'') is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their ...

te. It burrows into the soil to undergo a three-week pupation. Damage to the plant occurs when the larva eats the roots and the adult feeds on the leaves and flowers. Heavy beetle activity kills the plant. This beetle is a spurge specialist, preferring cypress spurge (''

Euphorbia cyparissias ''Euphorbia cyparissias'', the cypress spurge, is a species of plant in the genus ''Euphorbia''. It is native to Europe and was introduced to North America in the 1860s as an ornamental plant. Natural habitat types include dunes, pannes, coasta ...

'') in its native range and readily attacking leafy spurge as its first alternate. This beetle is native to Europe. It was first released as a biocontrol agent for leafy spurge in the United States in Fremont County, Wyoming in 1986. It is now established in much of the northern United States from

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

, though it is now scarce in North Dakota and Minnesota. It is still the dominant '' Aphthona'' species at some release sites in Manitoba.

References

Notes

* Coombs, E. M., et al., Eds. (2004). ''Biological Control of Invasive Plants in the United States''. Corvallis: Oregon State University Press, 237.

External links

Cornell Biocontrol Profile
Alticini Insects used for control of invasive plants Biological pest control beetles Beetles described in 1803 Taxa named by Wilhelm Daniel Joseph Koch {{Galerucinae-stub